True Love and the Dragon
by Mrs Pepperpot
Summary: Sometimes true love can come in the strangest of forms.


**I was a big Frasier fan back in the day, and I've recently been re-watching the later seasons. I began to notice that the dragon figurine, that Roz gave Niles in season 6's 'Visions of Daphne', is often seen on display in the background of Niles' apartment. I first noticed it during season 9's 'The Proposal', it can be seen on a table next to the fainting couch. The dragon is then seen in various places, like by the fireplace in season 10's 'Father and Sons'. I began musing on that figurine, and came up with this little fic-let. I hope you all enjoy reading it. Thank you. - Mrs P.**

* * *

True Love and the Dragon

Gertrude Moon was feeling bored, there was only so much daytime television she could watch and she had no one to keep her company. She started to poke around in the drawers and cupboards of Niles' apartment, looking for anything of interest. He was at work and wouldn't be home for hours, so she took her time snooping for something that would keep her amused. But she soon grew tired of her host's meticulous filing and tidy storage.

"Niles Crane, you really are a bloody milksop," Gertrude exclaimed.

She opened one last cupboard with disinterest and began rummaging around, when suddenly, the doorbell rang. She hastily returned the scattered contents to their original dwelling place, and went to answer the door.

"What do you want?" She impatiently asked a flustered Roz.

"Nice to see you too, Mrs Moon," the younger woman replied with sarcasm.

"Well, I'm a busy lady; I can't be stood here talking to you all afternoon," Gertrude said as she went to sit down on the fainting couch.

"I was hoping that Daphne would be here, I really need a favour." Roz looked desperate.

"She went out to get groceries," the older woman said.

"She's making something special for Niles' dinner, or so she said, but knowing my daughter's cooking he'll have more luck chewing on the crockery."

The younger woman seemed disappointed.

"Oh, I was hoping she would babysit Alice for me. Roger won two tickets to see Bruce Springsteen tonight, with backstage passes too, and my babysitter's let me down," she explained.

Gertrude just shrugged in reply, but she could see that Roz wasn't done.

"Mrs Moon, I don't suppose you would..."

The younger woman was cut off before she could pose the question.

"Let me stop you right there, I've done my time looking after snotty nosed kids."

"Of course, I'd pay you, for your trouble." Roz resorted to bribery.

Gertrude made like she was thinking it over.

"No!" she soon snapped.

The younger woman was about to raise the stakes when suddenly, the door of the cupboard that Mrs Moon had been snooping in, flew open and the hastily put away contents began to spill onto the floor. Roz gasped as a black and white gift bag tumbled out sending the dragon figurine inside sliding to the ground with a heavy clunk.

"I don't believe this," she exclaimed.

Niles arrived home unexpectedly at that moment, and happened upon the scene.

"What's going on?" He questioned nervously.

Roz held the dragon figurine aloft with a look of hurt on her face.

"I gave you this as a thank you gift, and you never even took it out of the bag? You just shoved it into the back of some dusty old cupboard," she wailed.

Niles stood agape and tried to think of something he could say that would spare Roz's feelings.

"I, um, I didn't have anywhere to put it, so I was waiting until we had the mantle remodelled," he lied.

"You've had years to find a spot for it. Well, that's the last time I buy you anything fancy," she huffed.

"Promise?" He quipped.

"How did you even find it, anyway?" Niles was sure he had tucked it away in the far corner of the cupboard.

"It just fell out onto the floor." Gertrude said innocently as if she'd had nothing to do with it.

"What does it even matter how I found it? The point is that I did."

Roz was about to lay into him again when Daphne arrived home.

"What on earth?" She asked as she took in the tableau of discord before her.

"That boyfriend of yours is some piece of work. He can find room for all his precious art crap, but a thank you gift I gave him, that I agonised over for days by the way, doesn't even merit a place in the bathroom." Roz held the dragon out for her friend to take.

"Oh, it's lovely," Daphne enthused to try and smooth things over.

"From now on it'll take pride of place," she said as she made room for it on one of the display plinths.

"I'm so sorry, Roz, I never meant to hurt your feelings, can you ever forgive me?" Niles was as sincere as he could be.

It was then that a thought occurred to her, and she spied an opportunity to exploit his guilt.

"Well, I came over here to beg a favour, actually. I got let down by my babysitter, and I need someone to take care of Alice tonight. Roger has tickets for Bruce Springsteen." Roz looked expectantly in his direction.

Niles exchanged a glance with his girlfriend, who gave her approval with a nod of her head.

"We'd be delighted to babysit for your little angel," he gushed.

"Bloody hell. That's the last time I go rifling through your cupboards, Niles Crane." Mrs Moon said with disgust.

* * *

Daphne and Niles arrived back at the Montana to find that Gertrude had already gone to bed. They were relieved to have the place to themselves, and although they were tired, they settled down by the fireplace with a nightcap. They chatted about the events of the day, and as Daphne glanced over at the dragon figurine, she was reminded of a vision she'd once had.

"That dragon, when did Roz give it to you?" She asked with great interest.

"Oh, let me think... Ah, yes, I remember now," Niles said as he recalled the moment with melancholic clarity.

"Do you remember the day you came to my office, when you'd found out that Donny was going to propose to you?"

Daphne nodded as her eyes widened at his recollections.

"Well, Mrs Woodson dropped off the gift bag that Roz had brought over for me, just before you came in. I didn't get the chance to open it that afternoon, and I forgot all about it when I went over to Frasier's that evening," he explained.

"That's right, you were there when Donny asked me to marry him, weren't you? Oh, Niles," she said with sadness as she now understood how heart breaking it must have been for him.

He still got emotional when he thought about how devastated he had been that night, even though Daphne was his girlfriend now. She could see the pain in his eyes and went over and wrapped her arms around him. She had something to tell him, which she hoped would cheer him up a little.

"I never told you this before, but after you'd left that night, I had another vision. I saw the man of my dreams standing with a dragon. I thought it was just an expression of my fears, like you'd said, but now I know, you really are my dream come true, Niles Crane." She leaned in to kiss him.

He had been pondering over the right time to propose to Daphne, and he now knew that it had arrived. Once he had made the necessary preparations, he would pop the question. But as happy as he felt at the prospect, he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting back to that awful night.

"I remember, I was just turning off the lamps here, before retiring to bed, I was feeling as low as could be, and then I unwrapped that dragon, talk about adding insult to injury." Niles quipped.

Daphne chuckled and then she claimed his lips once more in a slow lingering kiss. She took his hand and began to lead him in the direction of the stairs, but then paused briefly, so they could look at the figurine.

"Well I think it's just wonderful, and we're going to keep it on show forever, as a reminder that true love really does exist," she said.

"You know, when you put it like that, I'm sure I will grow to cherish it. I'll just think of you whenever I look at it," Niles said with a mischievous grin.

Daphne sighed adoringly at her boyfriend, but then, a thought occurred to her.

"So, you'll see a dragon and think of me? Nice," she huffed.

"Oh, no, you could never be a dragon, your mother on the other hand..." he wittily remarked.

Daphne gave Niles a playful smack on the bottom and chased him up to bed.

**THE END.**


End file.
